France ‘delighted’ at Neymar tax windfall

French Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin on Thursday said he would be “delighted” at the prospect of Neymar paying tax in France after his expected record-busting transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

“If in fact Neymar does come to a French club, the budget minister will be delighted at the tax that he will be able to pay in France,” Darmanin said on France Inter radio.

“It’s better for this player to pay his tax in France rather than pay it elsewhere,” Darmanin said.

“When you are a minister, your duty is to defend the interests of the state, and the interests of the state are that people pay their tax in France.”

Neymar was expected to arrive in Paris within days to finalise his world-record 222-million-euro transfer ($260 million) from Barcelona to PSG.

His wages will reportedly triple to 30 million euros ($35.5 million) a year after tax at PSG.

French tax specialist Michel Taly, of the Arsene Taxand law firm, said if that is the case then the club would have to pay the French state a similar sum every year.

“Whichever way you look at it, the state would receive more than 30 million euros a year,” Taly said.

The sum would be split between 15 million euros in income tax on the salary and 15 million euros in social charges, he said.